Projectile.



PATENTED MAY15, 1906.

B. NIEHOPF. PEOJBOTILEJ APPLICATION FILED NOV. 15,1994.

glmenioz 2' SHEETSSHEET '1.

PATENTED MAY 1.5, 1906 3. NIEHOFF.

PRbJECTILE.

APPLICATION FILED NOV. 15,1904.

2 SHEETS Si fiBT 2.

re ress NlEHOFF, or BROOKLYN, NEW rose fieecificetion of Letters Patent.

I enemas may 15, less.

Application filed November 16,1904. Serial No. 232,869.

To all) Jr/ham (Jimmy conceive:

Be it known that l. ERNEST Ninnons, citizen of tl Q ted S lyn, New l and useful I do here clear/end exact description of the in ention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it sppertnins to' make and use the some. i

lily invention relates to projectiles for-use in marine Warfare, and more particularly to means for. eutonmticclly igniting explosive cor'itnined therein upon the submersion there of at a predetermined depth.

As Wel known, shells, torpedoes, and other projectiles after losing projected by firing rncens ore exploded automatically in one of several ways, such as ly means of time fuses, percussion-fuses, &c. The lest-mentioned igniting me us, which is most genera zit-es, residing at Brook-- e invented certain new 'rovenients in P: tiles; and

. elly used, dependent for its action solely upon the contact by the shell with the res1sting-suriscc of the object at which it is tired. Upon contacting with ssicl ob ect the shell or other pro ect le 1s exploded; but 111 the event 'oi the device going Wide of'its mark the some will sink below the surface of the water without exploding, or lithe pro ectile is in the 'form'of afloat, such as the ordinary torpedo,

it will drift upon the water and become a,

menace to ship ling. f T e ob ect or my invention is to provide a projectile Thriving means. wl'iereby the same will be exploded automatically should it sink 3 subsequent to its forward movement to spredetermined level below the surface of the water.

I A further object is to em loy means Where:

by a floatingprojec'tile W'il not only explode 1 automatically after reaching a predetermined level below the surface of the water, but will be caused to lose" its buoyancy after its forsverd movement has ceased.

With. the above and other objects in view it consists in certain novel constructions, coinhin'ations, end'errangements of'perts, as will.

i be hereinafter fully described, end nointed out in the claims.

In the following drawings lhove shown .my improvements applied to an explosive shell and to o torpedo but it will of course be understood that, ii desired, annne or any other form of explosive device may be provided with my invention.

re the following to be it full,

l in the drawings, Figure l is a central gitudinsl section through shell percussion iuse, said shell l with my improved igniting 1r 2 is an enlarged transverse the shield of the IRPCl'iELHlSI ing portion of the shell. tionzil showing of a" through a Vlhitehcsc improved mechanism appli d o 4: is e ceutrel longitudinal o "ongli a in odified form of shell 21. (i to lie exploded solely by means of my invention.

Referring to the drawings by numerals, 1 is a body or shell having any suitabl -shaped compartment 2 therein, which ma he lo catcd atthe center or at any other suitable point. Communication with this compare ment may be hed'tlirough on openi 3, in which is normally arranged screw cop 4. Any suitable means may be employed for removing" thiscap, It will be understoodyhovw ever, that the outer surfsce'thereof must remain normally flush with the outer surface of the shell. A passa 'e 5 extends through the cap 4 and is normally closed zit its outer end by the vslve tl, the stem 7 of which extends through the pzrssage and has a head at its inner, end. A spring 9 is interposed between this head and the cap for the purpose of hold: ing the valve 6 normally seated upon the end of the passage, It-will be seen that a valve preferably diametrically opposite the cap 4 is a recess 10, hsvin longitudinellyextending grooves 11 for-me in the inner wall thereof at its sides, and these grooves are adopted to receive Wings 12, which extend at right en- 'gles from the side edges of a shield 13, which is adapted to fit snugly within the recess 10 and with its outer fece flush with the outer surface of the shell. The forward end of the shield 13 is hinged to the. shell, as shown at 16', formed inthe shell, and is adapted to bear upon the other end of shield 13.

'An inlet-o ening 17*is formed within the well of the r on at a point preferably adjacent the center of recess 10,- end this opening communicates with the interior of e. perfo- Formed Wit in the well of shell let a point of this construction will ogen only when pres- ZOO - 14', and a spring 15 is seated within a recess in the compartment .2 and surrounds the in ner end oi inlet 3.7.. slide-valve ,19 is mounted. in the casing 18 and is held, nor mally sea-"ted uponifne inner end of inlet 17 by means of :1 spring 20, which is interposed sive Gil, between said valveand the inner end its izhe casing. It will be understood that when the ing valve is in its normal posit-ion cmnmunicn the to tion between the inlet i7 and the apertures i/ in the valve-casing 15$ are cut oil. A suit nnblerecepmcle, such as a hollow ball of wire the proje fie m: netting 21, is sccured'upon ilie'inner curl of By removing the c i casing-18 at a point preferahh in the center had to the conipnrtnieni 13 mi 5' of com sirtineni 2, and this receptacle is removing or i'eplncii the rec aria te to contain a water-primer, ccnits contents. it \vi sisting of any one of severe] chemicals, which siood ignites when water is applied thew Among these chemicals may be mentioned sodium (Na), iotassium (ii), and stroni'iun'i (Sr) Extend ing from the receptacle Ll is n tube 22, which projects through the well of compartment 2 and contains a cmnhusiihle fuse L3, the inner end of which contm'tswiih 5 the chemical referred to, while the opposite end is exposed i-O and adapted to explode Llie charge .24 in the shell In using the )rojectileher'cin described the same is inscruen into the ban-oi of the cannon 3 or other projecting; device employed, and i6 is obvious that when in this position the sl'xield a u kilos 4 123 will be depressed into its recess 10 end its iinsi; W mad '3 outer surface held flush with the zuijs'iining 11#i' 1:72 by vii i'accof the shell. 'l licinlet .17 is thus eil'ccin Fig. l. amine h in). wally sealed against l llii admission of any unnecessa y, hm V marks or external prcssi1i'e,nn(l the project Lion to ethnic}? i 0 can be expelled from the barrel in any orreason (lid-L fihe air-i (linnry nuniner Without danger of the cxplofi1 i serve sion of its contents from any accidental ter 4 cause. Immediately upon leaving the protends acr ss the n jecting device the hinged shield is pram (l lzn'iy in that outward hyihc spring 15, as shown by dotted I valved Ll1-v' ?1]l/ o lines in the drawings. After the projectil 1 face oi iihe air-flask 11c strikes a body of water and during its prog' air iiis 'ilnccci lay W ress theretlirough or iliereovcr the igniting it is of course well mi nleclianisn'i remains unuliectml thereby, for .26 serve to render (h-1 the reason that the outwnrzlly-projecting the exp the xi shield 13 and its Wings 12 scrvetu (lcilecttlie out soleiy ugmn the; water as the projectile goes forward and piewith a! solid. object.

o vents it from entering lmtwecn iicl shield tions the V. w 3 and the wall of the shell and into i. ink-i. i". poi. be "m After the forward movement of the pro prim" ile has ceased, however, the writer is ire c c in-e lev enter between the shield and shell, and as 111 c surface of the device sinks the \ViLlA-W-PTQSSLIIQ will olivie'nie danger of boar ously increasem When this pressure reaches into contact with ii an a predetermined degree, the resistance 0!- By proyiriingmy i1 'r'einrl liys ring '20 will be overcome and scribedinconnecii.. valve 19 wi l he moved inwardly, thereby extorpedo is can (5o osing one or more oituhc opvnings in the casnoonias its for.

mg in. Water is thus [rec to How int-c comreason that Hi-LU)? partinont 2; will the air displaced tlll'tfiliYKVlll Hi 00m pass ouiivzird through the valved opening 5 file i in cape. As the water eni-ers the oompin'bment 2 the levcliliercof wail gradually rise has been applied. This shell i with {L percussion esp or to he ignited solely by primer such as described by i: may be of v desired construe eravbly has explosive meter sxten" 22 containing 'r'us explosive from. the

By reason of the mocha which it is a described and desire to said ii rial tra el of comhimtion with a body hm? l'iliLPS wrung-e; Within. said hi. i he i (l by contact of moisture, uf inoiosing sai inlet, means retein valve ch gainst a predeterm omnount of pressure omitted through means for preventing admission of through said inlet during the long travel of said body.

4. In 2. device of the class described, combination with a, hociy, of pressure-engized means arranged Within said bod means for preventing admission of p to said body during the longitudinal thereof.

5. lri a device of the class described, the combination With a body, of moisture-enerws arranged therein, a valve for pr o" moisti 1 t (luring longzi l'ua ti inlet,

mg a ooumn-rti I v aved mlet n the con 1 p artmen ")5 tor opening the 11 i means.

arln ission of st wounding moisture wleterminetl pressure and free to ture at or above said prede- 8X18 for preventing em rd 1 ss of the escri bed, am inlet,

eeted and press-uI'mapermore :ter described, com pertinent .til val vekl outlet and 'l across the inlet.

ruling across the inlet.

ruleti Wii easing within the comxte'nding from the inlet, it out-oil device Within the i the rlutracter described,

' hit-viii B, compartment :h v21, 'ved outlet and. an

:m g within. the oompart J inlet, a. pressurehin the easing, and

connected to the body 3 ice of the character desc ibed, .51. hotly hevhig acompartment -1 a valved outlet and an ted easing Within the cf? (1 BViQ-B Within the a pressurewperate, 0i

li ffliifld, osuiia-Lm'y casing, and a spun shivid extending {LC-T053 flu; inlet.

i5. device of ti 01? m comp! xplusiv :m'iminh having a mt thawin, s: V m pa r'ument being; pm. (i with a. vent and iniet, an. LPQ'ILUI'Gd g Within the c pm'i-ment :ind'surmu'm b the. iniet. surewpcrated, cutoff davice Wi ing, .1, "Water-primer. supi mitci compartment, and a, fuse extending .7 xvzitehpri'z um 16. In a, deuce of the charm I the combination with a body haviLg conpirtment therein, prsvided with 5!, 210 ;111:131 closed inlet and a vent, oi pressure-spemtca means for automatically opening the inlet, and Water-operated igniiing men-11s within the compartment.

17. In a, device of the character described the combination with a body havin I a, co npartnient therein provided with a. vent and nurmaiiy closed inlet, of pressurempemLed. means for automatisa'lly opaning the inlet, means adapted to pi'event the a( mission of wsbtei' to the inlet (1 :iiig the mavemeni; of the body in one iii tioii, and vmter-opex ate-d igniting means within the compartment.

2i, F1"- mendin 'lvii gait-i within the coi'npmtmi 45 20. A deviQe of? me, ciiaiavt-er dP-Ffil'iiK i. coiiipi'isiiig a, imiiy having 51, (:o'mpmhm i; therein, provided with an ink/i, an ()SOiHiLtUTY dUfi! my; dew :0 0mm acted to the body and ext-sawing a 5c Med igniting means v thi Matimmw whereof i presence 01' tin- 

